July 8 - We Are Able

Matthew 20:20-28

Jesus answered, "You do not know what you are asking. Are you able to drink the cup that I am to drink?" They said to him, "We are able." (Matthew 20:22 ESV)

Have you ever met someone with an incredibly inflated idea of their capabilities? I know I have definitely been that guy from time to time. Sometimes assurance of what you can do is dangerous, but not always. Confidence can be great especially confidence that is grounded in Christ.

James and John were confident in their ability to follow Christ. Their mother was also confident. Probably too confident as she asked Jesus to seat her boys at his side in his kingdom.

How confident are you? How do you feel about your ability to follow Jesus? There are days when it certainly seems easier than others. There are days when it seems difficult. The truth is that Jesus helps us. Jesus gives us confidence. We need only receive it. In Jesus, we are able.

July 7 - In His Arms

Mark 10:13-16

And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. (Mark 10:16 ESV)

One day some kids were coming up to Jesus. Some of his disciples seemed not to like it very much and started hindering them. Jesus wouldn't stand for it and used the opportunity as a teaching point. He told them that the kingdom of God must be received as a child would receive it. And then he continued to accept children and bless them.

Mark, writing Peter's account of things, said that he took them in his harms. The children enjoyed Jesus. He just have been fun and funny. He hugged them. He showed them innocent affection born of deep love for their young hearts, and pure spirits.

For many of us it is far too late in life to contemplate existing with a pure and innocent spirit. Because of bad choices or terrible circumstances many of us have either given away or been robbed of innocence. But Jesus came to this earth to restore it to us. And just as he took the children up in his arms, he draws us into his majestic presence to restore to us the purity of spirit with which we were created.

Believing in Christ as Lord takes us into his presence. It begins our life with him. It as an action of desired innocence. It is childlike. And as a result he takes us in his arms. He blesses us. He puts his hand over our lives. A life lived with the Hand of God on it is a blessed life indeed.

July 6 - Separation

Mark 10:1-12

"What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate." (Mark 10:9 ESV)

Those silly religious guys were always trying to one up Jesus by asking him questions that they perceived to be great theological struggles. He always dismantled them with simplistic love and devotion. Always.

One day they asked his opinion on divorce and he stated quite plainly that it was not good. Most of us would probably readily agree that divorce is not a good thing. It's Christ's following comment that I find so interesting. If you've ever been to a wedding in the South chances are that you have heard this one, "What therefore God has joined together, let not man separate."

We live in a culture where people easily toss aside things of incredible importance. Relationships. Jobs. Integrity. Devotion. Truth. These are all things that society has learned to easily and conveniently separate from. People let them go on a whim. They let them go for selfish endeavors. We have become a people of separation, which is fitting seeing as how the first man chose to separate himself from God.

I am glad that God Himself made the move to pave a path for our reconciliation. I choose to be with Him, to love and serve Him, and I will one day be joined together with Him. That will lead to an eternal season without separation.

July 5 - He Set His Face

Luke 9:51-56

When the days drew near for him to be taken up, he set his face to go to Jerusalem. (Luke 9:51)

Jesus knew what was to come and where it was to happen. And although scripture shows us that he did not look forward to suffering through his trials he did set his face toward Jerusalem with a determination to see his mission completed.

Can you imagine what it must have been like for Jesus to know the ordeal that would await him? Yet, he still had the commitment, passion, and love to see it carried out. Not only that, but he was determined to make his way there. He was determined not to be stopped.

Have you ever set your face toward something? Have you ever dug deep to find that kind of determination?  How has God blessed you? How has He helped you?  

July 4 - The Lazarus Problem

John 12:9-11

When the large crowd of the Jews learned that Jesus was there, they came, not only on account of him but also to see Lazarus, whom he had raised from the dead. So the chief priests made plans to put Lazarus to death as well, because on account of him many of the Jews were going away and believing in Jesus. (John 12:9-11 ESV)

Jesus raised his friend Lazarus from the dead and the religious people went nuts. They started making plans to kill Jesus. But that wasn't enough. Even had they killed Jesus, which they did, there was still the Lazarus problem for them.

Had they actually been able to remove Jesus there was still the fact that he raised Lazarus to life. A dead man living again is powerful evidence in favor for the reality of Jesus' supernatural power and divine origin. So they went beyond the plan to kill Jesus and started making plans to kill Lazarus as well.

The resurrection of Lazarus is a historical fact, even as much so as the resurrection of Jesus. People wanted to refute Lazarus' miraculous reviving. The power players wanted to remove him as evidence in the situation.

Today Christianity is often under assault. Historical revisionists try to blot out the truth of the resurrection and downplay the influence of Christianity on our culture. Typically their first line of attack is to undermine, rewrite, or ignore, the overwhelming historical evidence in favor of the orthodox view of Christ, his miracles, nature, and resurrection.

To make this even more personal—we have an instinct to act the same way sometimes. When we do something that makes us feel a tinge of guilt we try to erase the evidence. However small that might be. I'm sure you could think of your own personal example.

The Lazarus problem faces all of us. Lazarus was brought back by Jesus. Jesus was brought back by himself. We face the eventuality of life beyond death. None of us have experienced it as of yet, but there is coming a day when it will be irrefutable. And not only do we face the awesomely confounding prospect of resurrected eternity with Christ, we also may embrace the spiritual reality of a resurrected soul in this life.

Our choices have led us to death, destruction, and disaster. Jesus raises us up out of that. Lazarus wasn't a problem for Jesus. And neither are you.

July 3 - Follow With Us

Luke 9:49-50

John answered, "Master, we saw someone casting out demons in your name, and we tried to stop him, because he does not follow with us." (Luke 9:49 ESV)

Sometimes it is all too easy to make assumptions. John and company made assumptions about the person casting out demons in Jesus' name. They assumed he was not to be performing miracles of that nature without being a part of their little band. They assumed he was not like them. They assumed he did not believe like them. They assumed God wasn't using him to do incredible things.

Isn't that just like us? Especially where certain doctrinal things can confuse and confound things. We often assume that people, even fellow believers in Christ, aren't getting the job done unless they do it like we do. We assume we are doing it right.

The truth is that we're all in this together. It will take all of us living as shining examples of Christ's love and deliverance in order to reach our respective communities. Everyone doesn't have to follow with us. They just have to follow Jesus.

July 2 - The Most Pointless Argument In History

Mark 9:33-37

But they kept silent, for on the way they had argued with one another about who was the greatest. (Mark 9:34 ESV)

The disciples had just witnessed the miraculous transfiguration of Christ on top of the mountain. They had participated and witnessed many of his miracles. They had heard him teach with an authority that baffled lifelong scholars and students of the Law. Still, they struck up what might have been the most pointless argument in history. They were arguing about which of them was the greatest.

Isn't that just like us sometimes? We are privileged to get to be a part of something pretty awesome and our ego rises up and tricks us into thinking that the cool thing we were part of was great because of us. That's just silly.

The disciples argument was pointless on an epic level. Jesus was doing amazing things, saying amazing things, and being amazing—and they were following him around arguing over which one of them was the best. Dumb.

I find that most arguments that happen between religious people are a result of this kind of stupid thinking. The moment we stop thinking about Jesus, stop acknowledging him as the greatest, and stop putting all of our effort into giving him glory—we are in trouble. The moment we turn our attention to our personal agendas or our pet theologies we have become like the disciples in their silly argument.

Jesus is the greatest. Jesus is the one we must always point to, draw from, and lift up. Nothing and no one else compares.

July 1 - Where Are The Nine?

Read: Luke 17:11-19

Then Jesus answered, "Were not ten cleansed? Where are the nine?" (Luke 17:17 ESV)

While traveling ten lepers heard Jesus was passing their way. They went to meet him so that they might be healed. Jesus healed them and told them to go to a priest to reveal their healing to him. As they went and were healed only one of the ten thought to turn back to Christ and offer him thanksgiving for the miraculous healing.

Sometimes it is all too easy to take something great God does in our lives for granted. I know I seem to do it often. It is only well after the fact that I usually realize what I have done, if I even notice at all. What is it about us that makes us do that? In those moments I would have to count myself among one of the company of nine that was cleansed by Jesus and failed to say thanks.

Any time we willingly sin in spite of the grace God has extended to us through Jesus we are becoming like one of the nine. Any time we have a prayer answered and then write it off as a coincidence. Any time we chock our good fortune up to luck, or even worse, self-reliance we are becoming like one of the nine lepers.

It is crucial to our spiritual well-being that we keep the truth of Jesus' affect on our lives at the forefront of our thinking. Let us not neglect to offer praise and thanksgiving. Let us not take him for granted. Let us not be like the nine.

June 30 - From That Day On

Read: John 11:45-57

So from that day on they made plans to put him to death. (John 11:53 ESV)

An undeniable miracle had occurred in full sight and knowledge of many people. A dead man was no longer dead. Witnesses confirmed it. Critics acknowledged it. The religious leaders didn't know what to do with it.

Jesus was obviously beyond them. He was shaking up the status quo and the bureaucratic religious establishment was terrified. They were afraid of their Roman conquerors. They were afraid of losing their hold over the people. They were afraid they would lose their lucrative system of religious robbery. They did what fearful people do. They made plans.

According to their twisted minds the only way to solve the problem was to remove Jesus from the scene. So the formation of the plan to have Jesus murdered began. The men entrusted to lead the people to God ignored God's Son, schemed to murder him, and felt right about doing it.

From that day on the fear of men compelled them toward great evil. From that day on the willful stubbornness of a select few plotted the death of innocence. From that day on men planning to kill God were unknowingly ushering in the promised salvation of mankind.

June 29 - Come Out

Read: John 11:38-44

When he had said these things, he cried out with a loud voice, "Lazarus, come out." (John 11:43 ESV)

The time had come. Jesus had travelled to Bethany to raise his friend Lazarus from the dead. He reminded onlookers to believe. He commanded the stone to be rolled away. He prayed aloud for those nearby to hear. And then he called to Lazarus to live again and exit the tomb.

I'm not sure I can even imagine what that must have been like. They all saw it, all experienced, all knew what had just happened. Jesus, this man that was supposed to be a simple carpenter from nowhere—had become a premiere rabbi. He was saying things priests didn't say. He was helping people priests didn't help. He was doing things priests couldn't do.

The revivification of Lazarus was a turning point. It was undeniable. Someone that was clearly dead had been returned to life. It was a declarative miracle of a nature that surpassed all his precious public works. Jesus publicly and boldly declared himself to be master over life itself. He called Lazarus out of the grave, out of death, out of the past, into a kind of newness of life that only Jesus could give.

I really believe that Jesus is still doing that. He is still calling people to leave their tombs, leave their life of death, and leave behind their pasts to pursue newness, to pursue him. I'm so glad that one day I felt the compelling call of Christ stir within my soul and chose to come out of darkness into light. What is Christ calling you out of?

June 28 - How He Loves

Read: John 11:28-37

So the Jews said, "See how he loved him!" (John 11:36 ESV)

One of the great themes to take away from the truth of Jesus the Son of God is that God has empathy for us. Jesus experienced pain. He felt with loss. He knew what it was to be tired, to be hungry, to be sorrowful. He was, and is, God with us.

When Jesus' friend Lazarus died he went to see the family, knowing that Lazarus was to be raised back to life. But that knowledge did not stop Jesus from mourning with Mary and Martha. They were his friends. They were in deep lain over the loss of their brother. Jesus shared in that pain.

God has great empathy for you and I. It is a remarkable testimony to the breadth and depth of His great love for us that He feels so strongly for us in the midst of trying times, because He knows the end. God is all knowing and all powerful. He has the end and the means all within His effortless grasp. Yet, He still hurts with us. Not in a kind of way that in any way diminishes Him, but it is the kind of shared feeling one experiences between those who are extremely close.

When my close friends hurt I hurt with them. When someone I love experiences loss my heart goes out to them. I long to comfort and console them. Jesus felt that way about Lazarus' family. He feels that way about you and I as well. Oh, how he loves us!

June 27 - If You Had Been

Read: John 11:17-27

Martha said to Jesus, "Lord, if you had been here, my brother would not have died." (John 11:21 ESV)

Jesus' friend Lazarus had died. He and his disciples arrived at Bethany in Judea after he had been in the tomb for four days. He was met with a mixed reception. Mary, the one known for anointing his feet with costly perfume, stayed at the house while Martha met his party.

Martha's reaction was one shared by many of us during times of deep uncertainty and confusion. She questioned Jesus and his timing. She blamed God. Have you ever done that? I know I have. It is easy to doubt God's timing in a situation.

During the seasons of life when we are deeply tempted to question God we would do well to realize that questioning Him is missing the point. Sure we feel justified in casting our doubts upon Him, but the truth is that God is the only assured focal point for all reverent belief. He is the only sure thing.

Martha acknowledged that. She confessed her belief in Jesus as the Christ, and his power to raise her brother to life. But it was so much bigger than that. She moved from doubt and blame to accepting Jesus' ability to meet her immediate need. This served as a catalyst to her help her recognize her belief in Jesus as the way to meet the needs she wasn't even yet aware of. The next time we are tempted to doubt Jesus, blame Jesus, or question Jesus we would be well served to remember the example of Martha.

June 26 - I Am Glad

Read: John 11:1-16

Then Jesus told them plainly, "Lazarus has died, and for your sake I am glad that I was not there, so that you may believe. But let us go to him." (John 11:14, 15 ESV)

Mary, Martha, and Lazarus were Jesus' friends. There are a few different stories from the gospels that include them. Each of them are significant in their own right, but the account of Lazarus is both unique and powerful.

Jesus heard that his dear friend Lazarus was sick and decided that it was time to return to Judea. It was a trip that concerned the disciples due to some threats that had been made. Jesus' comment about both his friend's death, and the purpose behind his trip is revealing.

Jesus was glad that his friend had died. What a strange comment. Typically only the worst sort of sociopaths could find enjoyment in the death of another. But Jesus is no lunatic, he is beyond us. He was glad, not for the death, the gospel writer does say that Lazarus' death brought him to tears. No, Jesus was glad because the death of someone the disciples knew brought about an opportunity for them to experience the reviving power of Christ first hand.

I usually only have a very limited perspective on personal tragedy or hardship. I find great difficulty in ascertaining the proverbial silver lining. But Jesus knew the reality of Lazarus' situation. He knew that for his friend there was still life to be lived. There was still work to be done.

It would serve us well to remember the example of Lazarus when we are faced with difficulty. God does not abandon us in hard times. I believe He actually draws closer. You may never know as trouble sets in, Jesus may be looking at it as an opportunity to work a great thing in your life.

June 25 - Everything Written

Read: Luke 18:31-34

And taking the twelve, he said to them, "See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and everything that is written about the Son of Man by the prophets will be accomplished." (Luke 18:31 ESV)

The Old Testament is crammed full of prophetic predictions about the Messiah. The young Jewish prophet Daniel wrote of the Messiah, calling him the Son of Man—a phrase Jesus often used to refer to himself. Jesus knew the stories. He knew their original inspiration and he was the ultimate fulfillment. Everything written by all of God's prophets across the entirety of the scope of human history would become true.

Can you imagine the enormity of realizing that hundreds of predictions had been written about your life and death? It would be staggering to say the least. Jesus handled it, just as he handled everything else. He knew. He accepted. He embraced. And, he used it as a an opportunity to teach and train his disciples.

What if someone had written a book about your life hundreds of years before you were born? What if every facet, from birth to public life, came true? For Jesus it did. Everything written came to pass. The plan of God was written by men inspired by God. Then it was accomplished by God, all of it, everything written.

June 24 - He Will Rise

Read: Mark 10:32-34

And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise." (Mark 10:34 ESV)

Jesus knew what was to come. He spent three impactful years pouring into his disciples because of what was coming. He repeated the events to come to them multiple times, preparing their hearts and minds for the hardship. They were often confused when he spoke of his tribulations to come. They didn't comprehend the shifting that would take place when they would become the stewards of Christianity within the world.

Jesus did not hold back. He gave them the details of what was to be done to them. "They will mock," he said—and they did. They mocked him, and his disciples after him. Many today are still being mocked for being a disciple of Jesus. "They will spit," he said. Christianity has been the brunt of shameful displays of willful disrespect. "They will flog," he warned. Beatings have echoed across the centuries as people joined with their Savior in a willingness to endure beatings for the sake of the Gospel. "They will kill," he declared, and so they did, and so they have, and so they will. Wherever and whenever the uncompromised message of Jesus is spread people will die for it.

"He will rise," Jesus promised. Because men may kill one another, they may hate the message and end the messenger, they may reject the truth—they may even dare to kill God, but He will rise. That was the fulfilled promise of Christ. It was fulfilled for him, by him, and through him on the third day. It will be fulfilled in all who have laid down their lives in pursuit of him, they will rise after him.

June 23 - They Did Not Understand

Read: Mark 9:30-32

But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him. (Mark 9:32 ESV)

Jesus had just been transfigured before the eyes of his inner circle of disciples. For the second time he wanted them of his impending murder at the hands of the religious establishment. They could not understand what he was trying to say, and they were too afraid to ask for clarification.

What part do you think presented the most difficulty for them? Was it the bit the about resurrection? After all, no one had really heard of that before. In any case, the notion of Jesus being killed was very difficult for the disciples to comprehend.

I know that in my own life I often struggle to understand things that are new to me. I enjoy the process of thinking through new ideas. I relish the opportunity to think through an old thing in a new way, but that doesn't mean that I am overly good at it.

Usually any preconceptions I have about an idea act as a bit of mental fog. They cloud my thinking and thwart clarity. This can make the road to understanding difficult.

I feel like that is what the disciples were going through when Jesus shared the knowledge of his approaching fate. It was so outside the realm of their considered possibilities that they were afraid to even acknowledge it as a potential outcome. They didn't have that scenario figured out. It scared them.

Truthfully, Jesus leads us through the worst moments of personal misunderstanding. He helps to bring clarity back. It's not always an academic clarity of a situation. However, of we trust and follow him, we are always led to clarity of faith. That is something I have to remind myself of frequently.

June 22 - Who Says?

Read: Luke 9:18-22

Then he said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" And Peter answered, "The Christ of God." (Luke 9:20 ESV)

What do others say about you? Is it good? Is it bad? Do you even want to know?

There are certainly times when it is better just not to know what it is that people are saying about you. Reputation can be a toxic trap for good or for bad. Even Jesus used his reputation as a teaching point for his disciples when he asked them the questions, "Who do the crowds say that I am" and "Who do you say that I Am?"

The disciples answered his similar questions with very different answers. The people viewed Jesus as a prophet of old returned to them somehow. The disciples themselves, and especially Peter, saw Jesus as the Christ of God, the Messiah that would save humanity from their sins.

Reputation can be ugly. Especially if you start trying to draw conclusions or make decisions based on the wrong people's opinions. The reputation of Jesus has suffered in America over the last several decades, mostly because of the neglect of the Church. We have been distracted by other things, like our own reputation, and not always put our best foot forward. When the Church's reputation hurts, so does Christ's. We are, after all, his representation here.

What can you and I do to guard the reputation of Christ from slander and misrepresentation? At times we may not be able to do anything. But we each have our part to play in representing the King.

June 21 - Rebuking Jesus

Read: Mark 8: 31-33

And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. (Mark 8:32 ESV)

Jesus knew that he must suffer. He knew his identity, he knew his purpose, he knew the means and the end. I do not believe that he went into it without apprehension, heartache, or pain, but I know that he fully embraced the eternal implications and the necessity for the atrocities that would be committed against him.

After having confessed Jesus as the Christ, Peter was appalled upon learning the truth about what was to come for Christ. He started rebuking Jesus, declaring that these terrible things must not happen to the Messiah. It was Jesus' turn to rebuke Peter. He put him in his proper place, explained the necessity for the horrors he would endure, and continued his mission.

Have you ever tried to tell God He was wrong? Have you ever thought you had a better idea or a better way to do something? I know have, on both accounts. Sometimes we get so wrapped up in ourselves and our desires that we chastise God for thinking of the bigger picture.

I encourage you today to stop and think about what you have planned for the day. Is there a way that you can use your day's activities to point people to the bigger picture of God?

June 20 - Do You Believe

Read: John 9:35-41

Jesus heard that they had cast him out, and having found him he said, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" (John 9:35 ESV)

Jesus healed a man that been blind his entire life. It caused such a ruckus that the religious leaders began questioning the man. His parents were brought in. He was questioned multiple times. Threats were made. Eventually, he was rejected and tossed away by the religious people because his story did line up with their arrogantly blind version of truth.

After being rejected by the synagogue leaders the former blind man was found again by Jesus. He asked him a simple question, "Do you believe in the Son of Man?" He was asking him if he believed in the promised messiah the Old Testament prophets and leaders often wrote about. The man did believe. He declared his belief in the Christ, and made Jesus the center of his affectionate worship.

Do you believe in the Son of Man? Do you believe in Jesus? If so, you will face some kind of persecution from someone. You will face some kind of rejection. Especially if you choose to freely embrace a life that seeks to extend grace toward those others have written off.

June 19 - Better Than

Read: John 9: 28-34

They answered him, "You were born in utter sin, and would you teach us?" And they cast him out. (John 9:34 ESV)

Have you ever thought that you were better than someone? What did you base that idea on? What was your standard of measurement that incorrectly lead you to assume that you held some kind of superior position over others.

The Pharisees held prestigious religious positions within their corrupted bureaucracy. This, coupled with their lust for money and notoriety, caused them to look down on pretty much everyone—including Jesus. They were so blinded by their inflated opinion of themselves that they completely rejected the notion that someone might have gained a revelation about God that was greater than their own.

In their eyes the blind man was blind all of his life because of a sin issue. Grace, mercy, and redemption were lost to them within a religious framework of merit, knowledge, and works. They were unable to see Jesus in truth. Thus they were unable to see the beauty of his many miracles in truth. This was caused by a considerable hardening of their hearts, which itself resulted from pride and greed.

As followers of Jesus we would do well to remember that we are not better than anyone. We are to put others first. We are to serve. My prayer today is that we would see no standard by which we would ascertain any kind of superiority. All people have an inherent dignity, value, and worth.